Named spots
| Spot | Type | Depth | From nearest port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Valley | canyon | – | – |
| Woolsey Mound | feature | 504 fm | – |
Nearby buoys
2026-10-19 15:30 UTC · NOAA NDBC 42035
2026-10-19 15:30 UTC · NOAA NDBC 42084
2026-10-19 15:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 42354
2026-10-19 14:05 UTC · NOAA NDBC 42357
Latest NOAA NDBC observations. Satellite and in water readings may differ.
Fishing Louisiana / Central Gulf
Louisiana and the central Gulf are a world of their own, and the chart reads differently here because the water does. Three forces shape this fishery. The Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers pour enormous volumes of fresh, muddy, nutrient rich water into the Gulf. The Loop Current and the warm eddies it sheds push deep blue water up from the south. And the oil and gas platforms stand like a scattered reef across the shelf and out into deep water. Where those three come together is where the fishing happens, and the SST and chlorophyll layers are how you find the seams.
The river outflow is the signature feature. The muddy river plume spreads out across the shelf and creates sharp edges where the dirty fresh water meets cleaner, saltier green and blue water. Those color changes, especially visible on the chlorophyll layer, are magnets for bait and the fish that hunt it. The temperature breaks that ride with the plume edge and the eddies add another layer to read. A clean color change where the blue water pushes in against the river water, especially near structure, is a prime edge.
The rigs are the structure. With a soft, muddy bottom across much of the shelf, the platforms and the deep water rigs provide the vertical structure that concentrates bait from the surface down. Working the chart to find rigs sitting in clean warm water on the right side of a color or temperature edge is the heart of the plan here, and pairing the water layers with the depth contours helps you line it up.
Seasonally, crews typically target yellowfin and blackfin tuna around the deep water rigs and the blue water edges, with wahoo and dolphin on the Loop Current features in the warmer months. Cobia and kingfish work the rigs and the nearshore, and the shelf and nearshore structure holds snapper and other bottom fish on their seasons. The marsh and the nearshore are famous for redfish and speckled trout. None of it is guaranteed. Seasons, runs and regulations change every year, so always check current rules.
The habit that pays is to read where the river plume edge, the clean blue water and the temperature break are sitting relative to the rigs, and run to the structure that has the best water working on it.
What you get with ReelTemps
- Sea surface temperatureFind the temperature break
- Chlorophyll-aSpot the green-to-blue color seam
- Composite & single passBlended picture or the freshest overpass
- CompareTemperature and color side by side
- Depth readoutFathoms and feet on hover, tap or mark
- Currents & buoysSee the water move and ground-truth it
- Route, ruler & waypointsPlan the run and save your spots
From the water
I've tried every temp map out there and they all feel like they were built ten years ago. I'm not exactly a tech guy, but this one actually makes sense the second you open it. First time using it, I marked a break in about 30 seconds the night before and boated bluefin right on it the next morning.
Used to burn half a tank driving around looking for color change or a solid temp break. Now I check ReelTemps before I leave the dock and I know exactly where I'm going. Less time driving around guessing, more time with lines in the water.
Albacore season used to mean a couple hours of homework the night before and just hoping it held up. Now I do most of my research that morning and pull it up on my phone if things change once we're out there. Makes calling an audible a lot easier.